House Bill 26-006

This Act establishes the College Opportunity Grant Program to provide need-based financial assistance to eligible San Andreas residents attending public colleges, universities, community colleges, and trade schools within the state. The Act creates a dedicated College Opportunity Grant Fund administered by the Department of Higher Education and funded through legislative appropriations, grants, donations, interest earnings, and other designated revenue. Fund money is continuously appropriated for grants and administration, with administrative expenses limited to five percent of annual program expenditures.

The Department of Higher Education is responsible for determining eligibility and award amounts, coordinating the program with existing financial aid, and prioritizing assistance for low- and moderate-income students. Grants may be used for tuition, mandatory fees, required course materials, and other approved educational expenses. Eligibility is generally determined automatically using information from federal or state financial aid applications, and the Act requires outreach to rural, first-generation, and workforce-training students. Institutions must apply grants as first-dollar assistance toward tuition and mandatory fees, and institutions that raise tuition or mandatory fees above the statewide average may lose program eligibility for the following academic year unless the Department grants a waiver.

Students with household incomes of $50,000 or less are entitled to grants covering 100% of in-state tuition and mandatory fees plus a $2,000 annual educational support stipend, while students earning between $50,000 and $120,000 receive grants covering 50% of tuition and mandatory fees. The Act also provides additional incentives, including a $750 community-college completion grant, workforce incentive grants of up to $1,500 for programs addressing critical labor shortages, and a $1,000 completion award for students finishing an associate or bachelor’s degree within the standard program length. Grants may generally be renewed for up to four academic years, provided the student maintains satisfactory academic progress, including a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA.

The Department must report annually to the Governor and General Assembly on participation, award amounts, student retention and completion, and program performance and must maintain a public online program dashboard. The General Assembly is required to review the program five years after enactment, after which the Act is subject to repeal unless reauthorized. The Act was approved March 26, 2026, and took effect July 1, 2026, initially operating as a three-year pilot program subject to annual legislative appropriations.